Before long, Gu Xian'er interrupted Yue Mingkong's thoughts.
She returned to her senses, and looked at the cold and arrogant beauty in front of her with a gentle expression, just like an elder sister next door looking at her younger sister.
Gu Xian'er had delicate and lovely features that made her look like a doll that had come out from a painting; she was tall, slender, and had a pair of long legs. Her body was covered by her blue dress, and no extra skin could be seen except for her face, hands, and feet.
Yue Mingkong remembered that this was something taught to her by one of her masters, who told her that girls had to protect themselves and cover up when outside.
Gu Xian'er herself told her this in their previous life, and Yue Mingkong recalled laughing at the reasoning non-stop back then.
"Yue Mingkong, what do you want from me?"
Right then, Gu Xian'er broke the awkward silence between the two of them with a question. From the looks of it, she could tell that Yue Mingkong wasn't here with malice.
Gu Xian'er could easily see through the hidden intentions of people, so she put down her guard a little.
Yue Mingkong's soft expression didn't change as she listened to her tone, and she said, "You don't need to be so cold and distant; I am a few years older than you, so you can call me Big Sis."
Yue Mingkong took a few steps forward and narrowed the distance between the two of them.
On one hand, she was older than Gu Xian'er, and on the other hand, she was Gu Changge's fiancée, who was Gu Xian'er's cousin, so there was nothing wrong with Gu Xian'er calling her Big Sis or the like.
Gu Xian'er was puzzled by Yue Mingkong's actions as she couldn't understand why she had such a warm attitude towards her. Still, since the other party was speaking to her with a smile — and there was also no grudge between the two of them — Gu Xian'er's cold attitude eased up a little, and she asked, "What brought you here?"
She felt a little strange, and wondered just why Yue Mingkong was watching her with that expression of pity just now? Gu Xian'er had a high self-esteem, so she couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable, but she didn't show any of that on the surface.
"I heard that you were cultivating under the Great Elder, and had nothing else to do beside cultivation, so I decided to visit you."
Yue Mingkong replied with a smile.
She understood just how vigilant of a person Gu Xian'er was, so she made sure to consider her words before she spoke, to make sure that Gu Xian'er wouldn't think that she was here with ulterior motives.
"Is that all?"
Gu Xian'er was somewhat unconvinced by her words, and took a closer look at the space behind Yue Mingkong — her eyebrows wrinkled when she didn't see anyone.
"Did Gu Changge not come with you?"
She asked with a tone that held some disappointment.
Not seeing Gu Changge's disgusting face behind Yue Mingkong wasn't something she was expecting, and that's what disappointed her.
Since Yue Mingkong was here, why did Gu Changge not follow her?
Just how long had it been since the last time he came to the Great Elder's peak to see her?
Gu Xian'er thought that now that she had broken through to the Conferred Lord Realm, she could test out her might against Gu Changge. After all, she had always been able to defeat those stronger than; to her, crossing realms to fight was as easy as flipping her hand.
Although Gu Changge was mighty, it didn't mean that she was any worse than him.
What's more? She had inherited the knowledge of countless cultivation heritages, and her masters had taught her innumerable Mystical Abilities since she was a child.
"He left the Heavenly Immortal Dao Palace and went to the Heavenly Dao Ancient City. I don't know what he's doing there, though."
Yue Mingkong explained.
Since Gu Changge didn't tell her what he was up to, it was only normal that she didn't know.
Still, from what she knew about Gu Changge, he was probably sniffing around for opportunities in the Heavenly Dao Ancient City by checking around on all the people who had gathered from the different Heritages.
Gu Changge was, after all, a bad apple who only thought about stealing opportunities all day long.
What puzzled Yue Mingkong, however, was the fact that Gu Xian'er showed not a shred of hatred when she mentioned Gu Changge just now. Instead of hatred, there was a trace of visible disappointment on her face because she didn't get to see Gu Changge.
Just what was going on? Didn't Gu Xian'er hate Gu Changge from the bottom of her heart?
Yue Mingkong couldn't figure out just what was going on.
But soon, she decided not to think too much into the matter, and continued, "I have heard some details of what happened back then, and I agree that what Gu Changge did was too much…in the future, I will find a way to protect you from him. Gu Changge— Changge is an extremely dangerous person, and you can't even imagine his methods; make sure you don't come into conflict with him unless you are absolutely sure of coming out on top…"
This was the most that Yue Mingkong could say right now. As for whether Gu Xian'er would believe her or not? That had nothing to do with her.
Gu Xian'er was left puzzled when she heard her words, and wondered if Yue Mingkong specially came here just to say this to her?
Still, she could feel Yue Mingkong's kind intentions, so she responded, "I see. Thank you for your kindness."
"I am somewhat puzzled, by the way. Aren't you Gu Changge's fiancée? Why are you saying all this to me?"
Gu Xian'er asked.
"It's because I— I don't know how else to suppress the feelings of guilt and anxiety in my heart…"
A self-deprecating smile appeared on Yue Mingkong's face for a moment, but it soon disappeared, and then she responded to Gu Xian'er's question.
"I will pay for the evil he has committed."
Gu Xian'er was stunned by her response and fell silent.
She didn't doubt the fact that Yue Mingkong was telling the truth, and that was exactly what shocked her. Just how much must one love someone to say that they would pay for their evil?
Speaking of which, Yue Mingkong was also a pitiful person.
Gu Xian'er's indifferent expression subsided a lot as she thought of this. She wasn't a heartless person who couldn't feel someone else's kindness.
Afterwards, Yue Mingkong smiled and took the initiative to chat with Gu Xian'er. Once they started speaking, there was no stopping them, especially when she already knew about Gu Xian'er's hobbies.
Before long, Gu Xian'er felt as if she had found a confidant.
Since they started chatting about anything and everything, it was inevitable that they would discuss Gu Changge.
From time to time, Gu Xian'er would ask about Gu Changge and what he was up to, and this puzzled Yue Mingkong. Yue Mingkong couldn't help but wonder just what went down between Gu Changge and Gu Xian'er before she arrived at the Heavenly Immortal Dao Palace?
Why was Gu Xian'er not as hostile towards Gu Changge as she expected her to be? How come she was asking about Gu Changge with such zeal?
Of course, she couldn't just ask outright about her sudden change, after all, the matter involved certain secrets and memories that couldn't be touched.
While the two were chatting, the Void in the distance fluctuated, and massive waves of aura disturbed them.
Soon, the Great Elder walked out of thin air, and he didn't seem to look all that good.
Immediately, he saw Yue Mingkong and then shifted his gaze away from her after a single glance — he had no good feelings for Gu Changge's fiancée either.
"Master…"
Gu Xian'er respectfully greeted the Great Elder.
"I pay my respects to the Great Elder."
Yue Mingkong also stood up and greeted him without taking his dismissive attitude to heart. After all, she had barged into his place without permission, so it wasn't unexpected for him to not like her.
Of course, she also held the Great Elder's existence in high regard, so such a trivial matter wasn't worth taking to heart.
"Xian'er, you have already broken through to the Conferred Lord Realm? That's great! You are much faster than that Gu Changge brat."
The Great Elder couldn't help but feel satisfied as soon as he noticed Gu Xian'er's current cultivation realm, and her fast progress washed away his depressed mood.
After that, he turned to look at Yue Mingkong, and nodded to her in response to her greeting, and then asked, "Where's Gu Changge? Why don't I see him around?"
Yue Mingkong was neither subservient nor overbearing as she responded, "Changge isn't in the Palace right now; he went to the Heavenly Dao Ancient City to deal with some matters."
She couldn't address Gu Changge by his full name in front of outsiders, as that might make it seem as if the relationship between the two wasn't going all that great, and that might cause trouble for Gu Changge.
Even though Gu Changge wasn't here, she still kept these little details in mind, and appeared to be very supportive of him.
Gu Xian'er noticed this, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart. Yue Mingkong wasn't the Crown Princess of the Supreme Immortal Dynasty for nothing, just the thoughtfulness she gave to etiquette was commendable.
The Great Elder wasn't surprised by her response; he, too, wasn't expecting Gu Changge to hop over to his mountain so soon after what went down the last time.
It just so happened that he didn't want to see Gu Changge's face anyway.
Alas! There were some things that couldn't be avoided no matter how much one disliked them.
The Great Elder fell into thought for a while, and then said, "Alright, this old man will go to the Supreme Peak and wait for him there."
After he said those words, the Great Elder flicked the sleeve of his robe and the Void in front of him fluctuated; at the same time, a Spatial Channel appeared out of thin air, and the Great Elder walked in.
Gu Xian'er would, of course, not stay behind after seeing an opportunity to have an outing. After all, she was forced to stay on top of the mountain for such a long time that she almost felt suffocated, so she followed after the Great Elder with Yue Mingkong.
The Spatial Channel closed behind them soon after.
...
[Supreme Peak.]
Gu Changge paced around inside his residence with his hands behind his back, lost in thought. He had just returned from the Heavenly Dao Ancient City.
Yin Mei had also collected a good amount of 'cultivation resources' for him over the last period of time, so he made a trip down to the dungeon to get his fill on the way back.
After this time's cultivation, his hidden Cultivation Base had broken through to the Heavenly God Realm, and he was no longer just a Half-Step Heavenly God.
The difference between Half-Step Heavenly God and Full-Fledged Heavenly God wasn't minor.
'All below the Heavenly Gods were ants.'
This sentence wasn't an exaggeration. A Heavenly God could look down on all True Gods and those below that Realm; Heavenly Gods held boundless, uncontestable might!
What's more? Gu Changge was a Young Supreme with countless cards up his sleeve, so even ordinary God Kings would perish under his palm if they were pitted against him.
Of course, Gu Changge was extremely satisfied with his unimaginable cultivation speed that could be said to be going against the Heavens themselves, and was even faster than jacking himself up using Destiny Points.
The [Immortal-Devouring Demonic Art] was indeed a taboo art. It was worthy of its status as a Forbidden Inheritance that could break all restrictions faced by the masses.
It could devour the very origin of its target, including their Cultivation Base and Primordial Spirit, and raise the wielder's cultivation. At the same time, it could refine the devoured energy into [Great Dao Treasured Bottles] that got rid of any conflicts that the energy would otherwise have with his personal cultivation.
At the end of the day, the [Immortal-Devouring Demonic Art] could only be regarded as a supplementary method of cultivation, and it wasn't a standalone cultivation technique; it was similar to Gu Changge adding Destiny Points to his cultivation, but instead of Destiny Points, it required various 'cultivation resources' to be devoured in order to raise his Cultivation Base.
In addition to helping him improve his cultivation, Yin Mei was also monitoring every move of Bai Lie, the Young Master of the White Tiger Family, and noticed that Bai Lie had left the Heavenly Dao Ancient City for another Ancient City in Immeasurable Heaven.
Gu Changge guessed that Ye Ling might be in that other city.
Of course, he wouldn't act now and startle his prey into hiding.
The inheritance of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor of Reincarnation couldn't be allowed to stay in the hands of a measly Ye Ling for long. Moreover, as a Favored Son of Heaven, the benefits Ye Ling would bring him wouldn't be as simple as a mere inheritance of the Ancient Heavenly Emperor of Reincarnation.
It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com".
Now that Gu Changge was in the dark and Ye Ling was in the light, it would be an easy job for him to deal with this newly-birthed Favored Son.
Other than that, Gu Changge estimated that Yue Mingkong, as a regressor, must hold knowledge of even more opportunities beside just a mere Ye Ling. She must also know Ye Ling's future development route.
Her knowledge of the future was her greatest trump card.
Letting Yue Mingkong go for a nobody like Ye Ling was the same as chewing on an empty shell after one lost the fruit inside.
'I just went out for a while, and this girl, Yue Mingkong, disappeared.'
Gu Changge thought with a frown.
Yue Mingkong wasn't at the Supreme Peak, so he couldn't help but wonder just where she might have gone to at this time?
Did she sneak into the depths of the Heavenly Immortal Dao Palace while he was away, or did she figure out a method to kill Ye Ling?
He was too lazy to ask the other disciples.
'Hmm…she must have gone to look for Gu Xian'er.'
Gu Changge narrowed his eyes as this possibility appeared in his mind.
Speaking of which, both Yue Mingkong and Gu Xian'er wanted to kill him, so it wasn't unreasonable for the two of them to join forces. He didn't take it to heart, however, as even if the two joined forces, they wouldn't be able to stand a chance against him.
To him, the current affairs of the Heavenly Immortal Dao Palace held greater priority right now.
"Gu Changge…"
Out of nowhere, the Void outside his residence fluctuated, and a Spatial Channel appeared out of nowhere. At the same time, the Great Elder walked out of the Spatial Channel with a slightly downcast complexion.
Gu Xian'er and Yue Mingkong followed behind him.
"Oh! What brings you to the Supreme Peak, Great Elder?"
Gu Changge swept a glance at his 'guests' and asked with an indifferent tone.
He had already guessed that the Great Elder's sudden visit must be related to the position of the Heavenly Immortal Dao Palace's heir. The Elders had discussed this matter not too long ago, and he had naturally got some news regarding it.
And it was very likely that Yue Mingkong and Gu Xian'er were discussing how to deal with him, so once their discussion ended, the Great Elder brought them along.
He had expected such a day long ago, when the Great Elder would beg him to be the Palace's heir.
Gu Changge stood with a calm and unhurried demeanor. No matter how much the Great Elder hated him, he would have no choice but to swallow that hatred and take a step back before him.
"Does this old man need your permission to come over to the Supreme Peak?"
The Great Elder's expression worsened when he saw Gu Changge's insufferable expression, and faint rage flared in his eyes.
He had cultivated for countless eons and reached a point where his mood couldn't be moved easily, but Gu Changge never failed to anger him; this made the Great Elder wonder if there was something wrong with his state of mind recently.
"Of course, you don't need my permission to be here, but if you have nothing to say to me, then please leave. I have something to discuss with Mingkong, and it will be inconvenient if there are outsiders around us."
Gu Changge responded with a calm and natural expression, and outright asked the Great Elder to leave as soon as he opened his mouth.